Footage from a Pro-Palestine protest in Manhattan, New York depicting a bloodied man wearing a Star of David necklace escaping the protestors went viral on social media on Tuesday. Allegedly, the victim made hateful comments to the protestors, which led to the protestors throwing a metal chair towards the victim’s face and then chasing him. It is not clear what such alleged comments might have been.
NEW VIDEO: Showing man assaulted with metal chair at #freepalestine protest in NYC pic.twitter.com/4AwrDFwgrC https://t.co/lOZarvMUnL
— Elad Eliahu (@elaadeliahu) May 14, 2021
The video appears to depict a police officer escorting the victim, who has not yet been identified, with a bloodied face across the street. The incident took place on Tuesday evening.
The video showcases a pro-Palestine protestor woman accusing the victim of making hateful comments. “He said really hateful comments,” the woman says.
As a police officer tries to escort the bloodied victim to safety, someone can be heard shouting intensely ‘Run p***y’ as the man darts across the street, with several protestors carrying the Palestinian flag chasing them.
The bloodied man winds up in a local store as a woman repeats ‘f*** you’ towards him.
According to one protester, a passer by made really hateful comments towards free Palestine protesters which allegedly lead to one throwing a chair at this man as he was mobbed by others. He was eventually lead into a store by an officer after being chased pic.twitter.com/CMc1Z89Ulk
— Elad Eliahu (@elaadeliahu) May 11, 2021
Reporter Elad Eliahu, who was covering this situation as it was unfolding, said that the NYPD riot squad managed to catch up to the alleged chair-thrower, but ultimately decided to let him go.
According to sources the NYPD’s riot squad caught the protester who allegedly threw the chair, proceeded to not arrest and let him go pic.twitter.com/gB84Xw2RhB
— Elad Eliahu (@elaadeliahu) May 12, 2021
According to the NYPD’s statement to DailyMail.com, “Police observed a verbal altercation with a crowd of people. The complainant entered the crowd and was struck in the head with a metal chair by an unknown individual, causing a laceration to their head. “
‘The complainant was removed to Bellevue Hospital,’ the NYPD continued. ‘There are no arrests at this time.’
The NYPD confirmed that the investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
Situation in Israel
According to the BBC, at least 103 people have been killed in Gaza and seven in Israel since violence between the two sides was renewed. Gaza authorities claim that at least 27 of those who have died were civilian children. However, Israel has said that many of the deaths were of Gaza militants or due to rocket misfires from Gaza.
On Thursday, three rockets were fired from Lebanon into the sea off of northern Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). No group has claimed responsibility for those rockets yet.
Israel’s military said on Thursday that it hit several targets in Gaza, including intelligence buildings and homes, as well as businesses that were allegedly being utilized by militants.